This has been a Simply Red kind of weekend for me. Shut up.
There are only a few bands that get me like Mick Hucknall's band. And it has nothing to do him copying my red haired-blue eyed thing I've been working all my life (anybody from back in the day remember when I was Mick for Halloween in 1987? Yeah, that was me). I'm talking about some blue-eyed soul, though. Few bands did that better than Simply Red in the 80's. Now the band's just Mick and that's fine with me.
Simply Red debuted in 1985 with the superfantastic album, Picture Book, and released the great "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)" — a song about tough financial times (hmm, strangely familiar, no?) with the line "we talkin' 'bout Reaganomics." Now, does it get better than that? If I could make a list of phrases for be included in a song, "Reaganomics" would definitely be on that list (along with "after school special," but that's a blog for a different day). I used their title "Holding Back the Years" (their first US #1 single) as a title for a short story once, as I do love using song titles in my writing. The other videos I'm including today are a fan's vid of "Heaven," also from Picture Book, which is a lovely song about a bar; the song that never fails to make me tear up, Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" from 87's Men and Women and the cover of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me by Now" from 89's A New Flame. If you're a fan, Simply Red has a nice You Tube channel with heaps of high quality vids, lots of concert footage and more. It was nice to find high quality stuff for today's post, it's usually such a chore. When you go to the channel, check out "Infidelity," "For Your Babies," and "Stars." Enjoy.
EDIT: shut up. I found an 80's leftover. 1992's "Your Mirror," which I listened to relentlessly while going through a particularly hard time. Here is the video, a live version, and the lyrics — because it's right on, baby.
"Your Mirror"
I've got to stand up for myself This society don't care about nobody else I've got to be strong Even if I know that this feeling is wrong I've got to not care Even if I know that this world is meant to Share
Wait a minute. This is wrong Even the birds still sing their faithful song And your beauty lies within you Look in the mirror baby Look in the mirror baby
What you gonna do when your friends have Gone away And deserted you You'll have to be strong 24 hours can seem so long You're taught to not care And then not realise this world is meant to Share
Wait a minute. It's wrong Even the birds still sing their faithful song And your beauty lies within you Look in the mirror baby Look in the mirror baby
We've got to stand up for ourselves Even if a leader so cold wants to glory himself We've got to be strong Even if our reasons seem wrong We've got to not care Even if the world that we know may not even Be here
Hold it! It's wrong Even the birds still sing their faithful song And your beauty lies within you Look in the mirror baby Look in the mirror baby
This evening I had to look over my past 80's Sunday Rewind posts to check if I had featured Joe Jackson and was quite surprised to see I had missed him. Of course, this is an abomination on many fronts. Jackson is simply fantastic. If you haven't heard him you're missing out. Jackson ranks up there with early Elvis Costello and like Costello, is still recording and touring. So, I thought I'd show you my three favorite Joe Jackson songs, "Steppin' Out," "Is She Really Going Out With Him," and "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)."
There is only one summer theme song as far as I'm concerned and that's "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama, baby. How awesome is this song? Well, they wouldn't have put it in Karate Kid if it weren't awesome. And I have no idea why it's playing automatically — I'm sorry about that and I'll try to figure it out. Edit: ugh. Couldn't make it stop! Here's Bananarama singing it on Britian's Top of the Pops.
The song goes with the post I've been working on for a few days that should be posted later today or tomorrow.
Sometimes for fun listening there is nothing better than a good girl pop group and Bananarama did it well. How well? Does a little song called "Venus" ring a bell? Here's a few more vids for your Sunday. Oh, and Bananarama's back in September with a new album.
If you're a semi-regular reader of this blog you know that I'm a music lover and somewhat of a band and artist know-it-all, particularly of 80's music. In general, it's the post-punk, new wave genre that I love. You're not going to see any Kenny Loggins or Chicago or Van Halen on the Sunday Rewind, it's just not me. So, as I perused the old 80's iPod playlist this week, I kept going back two songs from a band I knew nothing about. That's an odd thing for me. I bought a compilation Rock of the 80's tape years ago with one of those two songs among the bigger hits from other well-known bands, and I rather liked the song, but never did any research on the band — just filed the song, and later another of their songs in my memory. And for as long as I've listened to those songs, I didn't think anything of the band.
That band was Romeo Void.
I decided today was the day for a Romeo Void Sunday Rewind and checked to see what was out there as far as music videos for the band, as I enjoy an 80's video for the cheese factor and because the interwebs is a visual medium, most blog readers would like to see a video from time to time. Because I came upon Romeo Void in the 90's after they had broken up and MTV was no longer playing their vids, I had no idea what to expect and from the singer's voice, I imagined a Debbie Harry-type girl fronting the band — not sure why. Here's the first video I watched, which was also their first , "Never Say Never," followed one of my favorite 80's songs, "Girl in Trouble (is a Temporary Thing)."
After seeing the video, I knew why I knew nothing about Romeo Void. Gotta love the VJ's commentary, "I don't know, by the looks of that girl, doesn't look like she'd get in any trouble." Jackass.
There are a number of bands that never got a fair shake after MTV became a marketing force and tool for the record companies. Tonight I realized Romeo Void was one of them. As I scanned the Related Videos on the right hand side of You Tube, I saw the now cancelled VH1 show "Bands Reunited" did a show on Romeo Void. Awesome. I poured a glass of iced tea and started watching.
I was not surprised to see the two themes that kept re-emerging: the familiar story of jealousy
over the group frontperson receiving most of the attention and the
record label's refusal to support a band whose lead singer, Native American, Debora Iyall, who was
plus-sized. Saxaphonist Benjamin Bossi tells the story of Clive Davis and his entourage coming to a show, only to walk out of the club before Debora sang a note. It was the group's misfortune to emerge during the infancy of music videos. As the band
recounts it, after they released the video to their second big single,
"A Girl in Trouble (is a Temporary Thing)," minus any camera tricks or effort to conceal Iyall, Columbia immediately pulled its support of the group, who was on tour at the time. Pathetic. I find myself wondering if this would happen today.
Sure, we have artists like Beth Ditto, who is not only unapologetically plus-sized, she's also starting a fashion line, but we're also bombarded with Jenny Craig commercials and Photoshopped magazine covers. As a self-taught graphics chick, one of my favorite websites is Photoshop Disasters, it features the worst in what you see everyday, but may never notice (until right now). All of the images below are from PSD.
Why, here's someone I've never listened to willfully. This is a smaller image than what's on PSD, but do you see what I see? Yeah, she has giant boobs, but she also has one giant hand. Why? Did the graphics department make one hand smaller or one bigger? Mariah, did your head shrink since your last album? What exactly is going on with your belly button? Hell, your shadow doesn't even match up.
Something has been 'shopped with her chin, but I can't figure out what it is. It's like one of those pictures that were in the Hightlights magazine when I was a kid where you circle the things that don't belong, like a sock in a tree or a television with real rabbit ears. I can't look at this anymore, it's almost as bad as listening to one of her songs.
That hand is scary, man.
Here we have spawn of Achy Breaky Heart. I assume to make Miley look more like a real musician and not a manufactured Disney pop princess, Glamour magazine gave her a guitar as a prop.
Although I've never played guitar, I've seen a few in my day. I've
never seen one with an invisible part of the neck connecting to the
head of the instrument. For reasons known only to someone who super likes the eraser on Photoshop, they took the neck of the guitar out.
Mr. Eraser has also 'shopped out part of her torso by her left arm above the guitar. Why?
Finally, I'm no fan of Beyonce, but I know a lot of people like her. She also is a woman who wears many hats — singer, dancer, actress. She also must wear a bunch of gloves because she has 4 arms. Of course, the third is circled for us, but one is sprouting out of her head as well.
What these photos say to me is "hey, guess what else we've 'shopped that you can't see?"
We're living in an age where there is no such thing as a real photograph anymore. With a computer you can have bigger boobs, a smaller waist, longer neck, or an extra arm. I can put your head on someone else's body if you want.
I'm not sure if Romeo Void would have debuted in 2009 they would have had more success. There are all shapes, sizes, and colors in the music industry today, but I still think we have a long way to go.
Once again, it's up to me to tell you about a product you didn't know you needed. Watch the one-minute video, then we'll discuss.
Okay, first, the woman in the beginning looks uncomfortable because of the get-up she's sleeping in, not her boobs.
Seriously. I'm speaking only for myself, but damn, if your boobs are the reason for your insomnia, maybe you should read the news and you'll have a bigger reason to lie awake at night. I'm just saying. Now, I've had big boobs forever and never have I been trying to get to sleep and thought "if only I had some sort of plastic boob separator I could get some sleep!"
Let's look at some of the FAQs from kushsupport.com.
Q. Is there an adjustment period for Kush?
A. Like knee pillows prescribed by orthopedic physicians and chiropractors,
there may be a brief period of adjustment for the first two or three nights.
However, most customers report being unaware that Kush is even there while
sleeping!
Q. How does Kush stay in place?
A. Kush offers a unique anatomically contoured design to fit comfortably between
the breasts. Made of a lightweight plastic that offers the firmness necessary
for breast support, the slip-resistant surface and contoured shape help keep
Kush in place as a woman rolls from one side to the other during sleep.
Q. Do I need to wear clothing with Kush?
A. No. You don't need to wear a bra, restrictive clothing or special garments.
You can sleep in nighties, T-shirts or in the nude, and Kush will stay in place
with its slip-resistant outer coating.
Q. Why is my Kush not staying in place?
A. We recommend that customers use Kush against clean, dry skin. The slip-resistant
quality of Kush can be negatively affected by nighttime perspiration associated
with menopause, or by perfumes, alcohol, oils, lotions or creams.
Really. I don't see how I could be unaware of the Kush while I'm sleeping, but sweet mother of insomnia, thank goodness the Kush is slip-resistant and I can sleep in the nude with it. I cannot sleep in the nude, I'm far too prudish for that. Plus, if there was an emergency, like a fire — if you sleep in the nude you'd have to throw some clothes on to run outside. At least I'd be on the lawn in my chemise waiting for the cute firemen to show up. Back to the Kush. It's slip-resistant is negatively affected by a few things, alcohol being one of them. I'm confused. Do they mean when you drink alcohol or if you pour a drink down your pajamas? 'cause I'm a klutz and am always spilling my booze at bedtime. The Kush comes in 3 different sizes and plenty of colors. Now, I thought the colors were for various skintones, but then I noticed the blue, lilac, and green, so I assume they're making the Kush for aliens. This, of course means aliens have boobs and now I don't know if I'm more disturbed by the Kush or by aliens with boobs. I'm telling you, sometimes this blogging thing unearths some phobias I didn't know I had.
The sizes are freaky too. And they remind me of the little hand weights my mom used to have when she had the exercise mini-trampoline when I was kid, and since my boobs are weights themselves, I don't think they need competition. Plus, according to the site, I'd need the large size and I fail to see how I wouldn't notice it while sleeping as the FAQs suggest.
It's a weird and wacky world we live in, isn't it? Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get my junk together for a little scrapbook trip to the swamp tomorrow. Since I don't have a Kush, I guess I'll pack the cordless phone to put between my boobs. I don't think that's big enough, maybe the dustbuster or a roll of paper towels.
Ever have an angry day? Just a crappy day? I made a playlist for days like this and I'm sharing it with you — just because.
Angry Day Playlist
1. R.E.M. "Redhead Walking" — an angry Kerry themesong if ever there was one. I don't get angry often, but I have quite the redheaded temper when I do.
2. R.E.M. "Living Well is the Best Revenge" — isn't that good advice?
3. Morrissey "Suedehead" — Moz is the best. "Why do you come here when you know it makes it hard for me when you go?" and "I'm so very sick of you, oh, I'm so sick of you now" are just fab.
4. Ben Folds Five "Song For the Dumped" — being dumped is not a requirement for enjoying this one.
5. The Breeders "Cannonball" — I cannot tell you how much I love this song from Kim Deal and company. I'm tacking the video on for fun at the end of the post.
6. The Lemonheads "Bit Part" — how can you not dig this tune?
7. Natalie Merchant "Jealousy" — as if I'd leave the best intelligent jealous woman song off the list.
8. 10,000 Maniacs "Headstrong" — my other themesong.
9. The Lemonheads "I'll Do it Anyway" — this one's just a feel-good, eff 'em song.
10. Counting Crows "I'm Not Sleeping" — awesome when you get to "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a.m. all alone again, but I've been through all this shit before / Spend my nights in self-defense, cry about my innocence, but I ain't all that innocent anymore." Listen for yourself, starts slow, but it's great. http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/04-im-not-sleeping.m4p
11. Tears For Fears "Shout" — an 80's must.
12. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "You Got Lucky" — classic.
13. Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" — big classic.
I should have outsourced this edition. Oh well. In honor of today's release of the highly anticipated "greatest hits" collection Let it Roll: Songs by George Harrison, I thought we'd spend a little time on George. Not a lot of time, because admittedly, although I do love some George, I've always been more of a Paul girl and my knowledge of George's stuff isn't as vast (and Lord knows I'm not going to do the research to do him justice). This isn't a bad thing. I will link to an article that is worth reading on Harrison, because to know the man is to know his music.
Oddly, one of my favorite Beatles songs, "Here Comes the Sun," is a George song (a live version is on the new album) and I think his guitar playing is one of the main things that made the band so consistent. The Beatles were a lot of things: fantastic songwriters, talented vocalists, and suburb musicians. What really stands out to a longtime fan is how innovative they were and they owe much of that to Harrison's unwavering desire to grow as a musician. Sure, he's known as a guitarist, but without his sitar work on Rubber Soul (my fave Beatles album), it's pretty doubtful the sitar would have found its way into Western music. It's clear to see Harrison's influence on bands such as R.E.M., Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Oasis, and Coldplay. Pure awesome.
Go download Let it Roll from iTunes (you get 2 bonus tracks on iTunes) or buy the cd, you won't be disappointed. As a casual fan, the only thing I'd like to see that's missing from the album is Harrison's work with the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, but I know this is a compilation of his solo work. The Beatles songs on the album are from live performances post-Beatles, so I really can't complain. With the addition of this album, I'll have a pretty decent John, Paul, George, & Ringo playlist (yes, that's what I've titled it) and y'all know how much I love a good playlist. The album art is nice as well.
Here's the track listing:
* Got My Mind Set On You (from Cloud Nine, 1987) * Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (from Living In The Material World, 1972) * The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * My Sweet Lord (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * While My Guitar Gently Weeps (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971) * All Things Must Pass (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * Any Road (from Brainwashed, 2002) * This Is Love (from Cloud Nine, 1987) * All Those Years Ago (from Somewhere In England, 1981) * Marwa Blues (from Brainwashed, 2002) * What Is Life (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * Rising Sun (from Brainwashed, 2002) * When We Was Fab (from Cloud Nine, 1987) * Something (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971) * Blow Away (from George Harrison, 1979) * Cheer Down (from Lethal Weapon 2) * Here Comes The Sun (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971) * I Don't Want To Do It (from Porkys Revenge soundtrack, 1984) * Isn't It A Pity (from All Things Must Pass, 1970)
And here is a great Rolling Stone article from 2001 about the stories behind the songs, something I love to read about. If you're a music fan, this is a nice read.
I'll leave you with one of my favorites. This clip is from The Prince's Trust All-Star Rock Concert, held in 1987, which I remember watching on HBO at the time. It's fab.
EDIT: If you saw the blog earlier, there were videos I had lovingly captioned for you, but I couldn't figure out why they were playing automatically. I'm sorry, I don't know what the problem was, so I took them off and put in the regular vids. I'm beyond bummed that you can't see the fun captions, but I couldn't have the vids annoying you. If I figure it out I'll put them back up.
I'm sure a few of y'all were wondering when I'd get around to Simple Minds. Please. Like there was a doubt I'd get to my boys from Scotland. Simple Minds are best known for their song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from The Breakfast Club, but they have quite the history and music catalog. The guys started out as a punk band named Johnny and The Self-Abusers in 1977 before changing their name and putting out a rock album, then settling into the "New Romantic" side of New Wave. In 1985, The Breakfast Club launched Simple Minds into overnight American success and they had their only #1 U.S. hit. To capitalize on their new fame, the band released Once Upon a Time which included the hits "Alive and Kicking," "Sanctify Yourself," and my fave "All the Things She Said." I usually don't offer video commentary, but we have to talk about the videos today. I put actual work into this post, which you can't see now. "Sanctify Yourself" and "All the Things She Said" are so good I had to caption them myself. People, 80's videos get no better than "All the Things She Said." I forgot the degree of awesomeness it achieved and and actually said "shut the eff up" when I watched it earlier — yes, it's that good. Enjoy the videos.
First of all, let me tell you what a special kind of moron your favorite redheaded blogger is — I've been working on this post for two days and have saved it as a draft many, many times — I was writing a couple of hours ago, made sure the links work, proofread the post and thought I published it. Nope, I saved as draft again! For crying out loud, I cannot have a Tunes You Need Tuesday published on a freakin' Tuesday to save my life. I wouldn't blame you if you started reading The Bloggess instead. At least you'd get to laugh about Clown Porn. And nothing has made me laugh harder than the thought of that the past couple of days. No, I haven't been watching porn, it's just a column I read that's laugh out loud funny and when I told Megs I'd send it to her she said no, because she's afraid she'd get a virus. She probably thinks she'll get an iSTD from the computer. I'm afraid most of you are reading this going "what the hell? Clown Porn? Call the prayer chain, call the psych ward, somebody, she's finally lost it." I assure you I'm alright and probably better than I've been in a few weeks, so it's about time for some serious fun. And serious fun for me is good music, what else? Did you think I was going to say Clown Porn?
Okay, I know we covered Natalie Merchant two weeks ago, but the Maniacs deserve their own post, dammit. I can't write a Natalie post and just hope that you'll go out on your own and listen to the Maniacs or watch a couple of YouTube videos, I have to deliver. This is how dedicated to your Tuesday tunes edumacation I am. What? That's a word. Look it up in your dictionkerry.
The brief history of 10,000 Maniacs I gave you in the Natalie Merchant post won't suffice for today, so welcome to Maniacs 101. There will not be a quiz, so relax.
If I were to sum up 10,000 Maniacs, a couple words would come to mind,
but one of the most prevalent would be artsy. The band's sound and feel
is defined by Rob Buck's distinctive lead guitar, folksy
melodies, historical/political poetic lyricism, and just an all around unique and lovely sound. Many of their songs are about unsavory things and some are just reflections on various little aspects of everyday life, but the Maniacs never try to hide what they're doing. The songs speak for themselves. There isn't a song you'd hear and say, "wow, wonder what that could be about." It's all there.
There are basically three distinct periods in the band's timeline.
The first lasted from their formation in 1981 until 1986. At this point
the lineup was Steve Gustafson (bass), Robert Buck (lead guitar),
Dennis Drew (keyboards), Natalie Merchant
(vocals) and John Lombardo (guitar/vocals). They would find a permanent
drummer in 1983 in Jerome Augustyniak. The band started
out as being very eclectic, incorporating a multitude styles that
varied from reggae to punk to folk, but by the time of their major
label debut The Wishing Chair, they had become more of a concise artsy folk unit. This was powerful and original stuff. Natalie's
voice was youthful but soared with a vitality and energy that was unlike anything I've heard since those early albums. Rob's chiming guitar leads were just as up
front as Natalie's
vocals, and the combination still holds up as beautiful and invigorating. This
was John Lomabrdo's musical vision really coming together for the first
time, and The Wishing Chair is often referred to as "his baby."
In 1986, due to financial concerns and Elektra's pressuring the
band to go in a more commercial direction, Lombardo left 10,000 Maniacs.
He would later carry on The Wishing Chair sound in his duo with Mary Ramsey,
but 10,000 Maniacs continued on as a five-piece and their sound
shifted to an extent. This is what I would consider phase two. They acquired a more
pop-oriented feel, with Natalie's lyrics focusing on distinctive, often political topics. The albums In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo(1989), Our Time In Eden(1992), and Unplugged (1994) were released during this stage while Natalie was lead singer.
Phase three began when Natalie Merchantleft in 1993, and John Lombardo returned in 1994 bringing along Mary Ramsey to replace Natalie.
With John again the prime creative force in the Maniacs he of course
took up where he left off back in 1985. The band's sound became more
folkish again. There have been other personnel changes since with the death of Buck, Lombardo leaving once again, and Ramsey in and "on again, off again" state as of now. Oskar Saville sang with the Maniacs from 2002-07, but it looks like Ramsey is back — at least that what seems to be the case. Their website hasn't been updated in some time and I could find no news of their status lately.
So far two albums have been created with Ramsey, Love Among The Ruins and the independently released The Earth Pressed Flat. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I am a Maniacs purist and a song without Natalie singing is just not a 10,000 Maniacs song. I remember driving my Corolla in Alpharetta, GA in 1997 when I first heard "More Than This," the first Natalieless Maniacs song on the radio and I yelled "that's not 10,000 Maniacs!" With all due respect to Ms. Ramsey, no one could replace Natalie's voice. And dear my mother the war — Oskar Saville singing the old songs — it's like nails on a chalkboard. I say that with love. And criticism and intollerance, mainly love.
Onto the songs. Let's have a little loveliness from each album, that seems the thing to do.
From The Wishing Chair, this is "My Mother the War," which is what I've always considered a very raw Maniacs song. It doesn't sound like what you're used to from the band and Natalie's voice is a young instrument.
From what is most of America's first 10,000 Maniacs experience, In My Tribe, I thought you might like "City of Angels," for its folksy sound, but as well as a song that's a good example of Natalie finding her voice. I love the song. In my Natalie Merchant post, you saw the video of the big single from this album, "Like the Weather," but there are other great songs on this album. Notably, the Cat Stephens cover of "Peace Train" and "What's the Matter Here" about child abuse. In My Tribe is full of socially aware songs, nearly each track has a message. And did I mention how much I heart the cover art? It's always been one of my faves. http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/10-city-of-angels.m4a
Blind Man's Zoo is the middle-ground of 10,000 Maniacs albums. It falls somewhere outside the folk band they started out as and the more pop sound of their last studio album. It's the only album I would consider "alternative" whatever that means, but nevertheless is what genre the band is called. I knew the video to "Happy Puppet" was one of the only videos that showed the whole band and thought it would be fun to see the rest of them, since they weren't Natalie's backing band, as you would think from all the other videos from that era. Plus, it's a damn good song.
Another song I love from that album is "Headstrong," which could SO be one of my theme songs. If you've know me for very long, you would probably agree. I hate that when they made the compilation album, Campf
ire Songs they left this gem off. It would really fit to shake it up a little. And I like a little angry song for a mood once in a while, don't you?
The last 10,000 Maniacs studio album with Natalie Merchant as lead singer and writing partner to Rob Buck was Our Time in Eden, and it is simply a gorgeous work. The instrumentation on it is just fabulous, with Buck using banjo, steel guitar, and sitar (which he hadn't used since In My Tribe), as well as the James Brown Horns, and Mary Ramsey on backing vocals. This album is fantastic. Everyone remembers "These Are Days" which ended up as a graduation theme song all over the country, but I loved "Candy Everybody Wants," a pop song about the crap in our media and how we eat it up! Man, it's genius. And the video features a stunning Natalie, so no wonder no one ever got it. I was sucked in, too. After seeing Natalie in her green off-the-shoulder dress, I had to have a green off-the-shoulder dress for prom. Here's the video.
I mentioned the MTV Unplugged album, but it's worth a listen. Really, you should get it. It shows what a talented band 10,000 Maniacs were back in '93. Rob Buck was a great musician, probably never getting the accolades he deserved and he delivers on this album. Also, we're treated to some great songs on Unplugged. I really like this version of "Noah's Dove" and the duet with David Byrne, "Let the Mystery Be" is just great. This album is full of little surprises and is a nice send off, being that it was the last album with Natalie. Enjoy.
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